Heretofore, basketball goal apparatus have included brackets or the like which permit a basketball goal to be mounted on a flat surface such as a wall or door. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No 4,715,600 to Offutt, where the door-mounted goal assembly includes brackets generally having a U-shaped channel to facilitate attaching the bracket over the upper and lower edge of the door. When the door is closed, the door jamb above the door further helps retain the upper bracket in position.
Furthermore, a height adjustable basketball goal assembly has been disclosed by Offutt in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,600. The height adjustable goal permits people of varying age and size to play the game. For example, variably adjusting the height of the basketball goal on a vertical surface, such as a door, enables younger children, as well as adults, to play the game using the same goal.
However, present adjustable backboards have exhibited certain drawbacks. First, the backboard usually is adjustably mounted on a rigid support pole made up from a plurality of members. The number of component parts gives rise to a number of assembly or disassembly steps when preparing the apparatus for use or storage. Furthermore, various components of the multiple component adjustabl goal support member may be lost when the apparatus is being placed into or returned from storage. Secondly, before readjusting the backboard height, it is necassary to remove fasteners which secure the backboard to the support pole. Then the fasteners are resecured after the backboard has been raised or lowered by a predetermined interval and realigned.